Supermarket wine bill fails by 1 vote in House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A proposal to loosen wine sale laws in Tennessee has failed by a single vote in a House committee after members of the panel refused to grant the sponsor a week's delay to negotiate a final version.

The House Local Government Committee voted 8-7 Tuesday to reject advancing the measure, which would allow local referendums on whether grocery stores should be able to sell wine.

Republican Rep. Jon Lundberg of Bristol, the bill's sponsor, had asked for a week to discuss changes to the bill a day after the beer wholesalers association, a traditional opponent of the proposal, swung its support behind the bill as long as it included strong beer.

The bill has been opposed by the state's package store owners and the liquor wholesalers association.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A proposal to allow local referendums on whether grocery stores should be able to sell wine has been delayed in its final Senate committee to consider several changes desired by groups newly interested in negotiating over the measure.

A special subcommittee was appointed on Tuesday to work out a final version of the bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro. A full Senate Finance Committee vote was rescheduled for next week.

Among the issues supporters want to hammer out is whether the bill should also allow liquor stores to sell beer, which hours wine would be available for sale and the exact start date of supermarket wine sales after it is approved by voters and w.

The bill has been opposed by liquor wholesalers and package store
owners.